With next year’s Maitland Show fast approaching, one final duty remains for the 2016 Showgirl Jessica Allen.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
“Ms Maitland” has thrown down the gauntlet for young women across the Hunter who are passionate, personable and motivated to enter the 2017 competition. Far from being a beauty pageant, Ms Allen said, the Showgirl must advocate for regional issues and the role of women in agriculture.
“You need ties to agriculture but – most importantly – it’s for people who want or need an opportunity to have their voice heard on behalf of the rural community,” she said.
Ms Allen spent her time in the sash drawing attention to Maitland’s shifting identity as urban development transforms the Hunter’s historically agricultural areas.
“I don’t see them as separate entities,” she said. “There’s co-dependence, farmers produce the food but the technology farmers rely on come from urban centres.”
Entries for the Showgirl 2017 competition are open. Apply at office@maitlandshowground.com.au.
